Electric trimming apparatus.



4 PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. F. J. RUSH.

' ELECTRIC TRIMMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.16.1906.

Inventor:

04, WASHINGTON. a. c.

FELIX J. RUSH, OF NE YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC TRIMMING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed geptember 16, 1905. Serial No- 278,725.

T0 at whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, FELIX J. RUsn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Trimming Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus or devices for trin'nning fabrics of various kinds, and particularly to a device or apparatus by means of which fabrics may be trimmed along the outline of any given pattern or the surfaces of pile or similar fabrics may be trimmed and rendered even and uniform.

Among the objects of my invention the following maybe noted: to providea simple and compact device by means of winch embroidcry of any character whatsoever may have the foundation fabric upon which it is made or laid accurately and perfectly trimmed close to and along its outline, to provide Ireans by which the surfaces of pile or other similar fabrics may be trimnied or worked down so as to render said fabrics of uniform thickness throughout and give to the said surfaces an even and uniform appearance, to provide a device which will trim all kinds of fabric by means of singeing 1n contrad1st1nction to cutting, and to provide a device by nieans of which the above objects nvay be effectively carried out which is under the perfect control of the operator and which may be manipulated with ease and freedom for the various purposes stated.

Vith the ab ove objects in view and others which will be detailed during the course of this description my invention consists in the parts, features, and combinat ons of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this speci fication, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a form of device which I have devised for the purpose of demonstrating my invention, certain parts of said figure being shown in section in order to clearly portray the details of construction; and F ig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

Referring now to Flg. 1 of the draw ngs, my device, in the form shown, consists of the central supporting stem or shaft a, which is preferably made of copper, but may be made of anv other material which is a good conductoi" of electricity, said stem orshaft carrying a slip-ring a, which 1n this lnstance 18 made solid and with an extensive bearingsurface, as shown. The stem (1 below the slip-ring a is provided with a shoulder a below which is an insulating-sleeve Z), the upper end of which is flanged at b and. which sleeve is clamped against the shoulder a by means of the nut a, working upon the screwthreaded portion a of the stem. provided for the purpose, a washer a, of mica or other insulating material, being interposed between the said sleeve Z) and the nut a Cooperating with the flange 6* of the insulating-sleeve b is a second slip-ring b, the sante surrounding said sleeve Z) and being held against its flange by any suitable means, the insulatingwasher a being made sufliciently extensive to overlap the lower end. of said slip-ring, and thus insulate the same from the nut a and also act as a support for said slip-ring. At the lower end of the stem a a suitable head or block cis secured, the said stem being scre\ threaded into the said block, as shown, for the purpose. Obviously any other means for the purpose may be employed provided an electric connection be established. Said head orblock supports a binding-post (Z by means of the reduced lower end d thereof being set within an aperture in the said block or head, said reduced end (Z being surrounded by an insulating-sleeve 0*, the upper end of which is flanged at c and the lower end of which rests upon the insulating-washer d, interposed between the bottom of the block or head 0 and a scuring-nut d, screwed upon the lower end of the binding-post (Z. This construction firmly secures the binding-post in position and insulates the same from the head or block 0.

The binding-post d is bored transversely for the reception of one end of the conducting-wire 12 which at its other end is tapped. into the slip-ring Z) and intermediately bent around the stem 0/, so as to avoid contact therewith. The screw Z2 secures the said conductor 6 in the binding-post. This establishes an electric connection between the slip-ring Z) and the binding-post (Z, the current through which, however, is insulated. from the stem (L and its head 0.

Secured to the head or block 0 are a plurality of wires, preferably shown as four and three of which are indicated by c and the other one by d. The wires 0 are connected at their upper ends directly to the block or head 0 by means of the binding-screws 0 which are tapped into said head and firmly hold the upper ends of said wires in apertures together in any suitable manner, said ends being subsequently formed into an elongated piercing-point d for a purpose presently stated.

The wire (1 is the trimming or singeing wire and is preferably made of platinum or other poor conductor of the electric current, while the other wires 0 are or may be made of bronze or other material which is a good conductor of the electric current. The wires 0 and d are arranged so that the wires 0 will extend substantially straight from the head or block 0 to the point (Z while the wire d is slightly bowed or bent inwardly between its ends. In this manner the wires 0 act as guards to prevent the wire (1 getting too close to the edge or surface which is to be trimmed or treated. In other words, it is an important feature of my invention that the radius of operation of the wires 0 shall be slightly greater than the radius of operation of the wire (1, for the wire (1 being a poor conductor, and consequently having high resistance, will attain to a considerable degree of heat, while the wires 0 being good conductors and having low resistance will readily pass the current and will thus not become overheated. For the purposes of my invention a sufficient current of low voltage will bring the wire (1 to red heat, thus causing it to expand or elongate, which might, if the wire were straight, cause it to bow outwardly beyond the radius of action of the guard-wires c, and to avoid this the initial bend inwardly is given the wire d, so that its natural tendency to elongate or exp and when heated will cause it to bow still more inwardly. This inward bend is intended to be slight or only sufficient to enable the heat radiated thereby to substantially reach the extreme of radius of action of the guard-wires 0, thus the singeing or trimming effect of the wire will be caused to reach substantially the radius of action of the said guard-wires. In the description of operation of the device these features will be clearly stated and their functions amplified. In order to transmit the current and complete the circuit, a brush it is placed so as to contact and cooperate with the slip-ring a, and a brush h is likewise brought into cooperation with the slipring I), a conducting-lead it being connected to the connected to the brush h. handholdf surrounds the entire device, the latter being loosely mounted thereon, so as to freely rotate by means of the flanged ring f, secured to the top of the guard and engag- 6 5 ing the flanged sleeve g, which surrounds and 1 brush it and a conducting-lead 71. being A 'uard and is secured to the stem a, said ring and sleeve being insulated by means of the interposed insulating material g and at its bottom is supported by means of the flanged ring f", 1 which cooperates with the supporting-ring g, secured to the head or block 0 by the binding-screws 0 said supporting-ring g being insulated from the said head 0 by means of 1 he interposed insulating material g", which is also carried out to surround the screws 0 l By this means'the entire device is journaled l in and rotates on the guard], and as the latter is insulated from said device it may be i freely handled. Obviously the brushes h and h are held stationary by suitably con necting the same with the handhold or guard f and are suitably insulated from the latter, or the latter may be made of non-conducting material. The said hrushes through I their leads 7L2 and 7&3 are obviously connected to any suitable source of electric current, which may be controlled by any suitable form of rheostat interposed in the circuit for permitting just the desired current and voltage to pass to the wires 0 and d for the given purposes.

Having described the details of my invenl tion, the following description of the mode of operation will be readily understood: The stem or shaft a will be held and supported by a chuck or other device connected to and driven by a flexible shaft which may be given any desired speed of rotation, the said shaft or stem, as before stated, being journaled in the guard Rotary motion being thus imparted to the device and the electric circuit having been closed, the current will be transmitted through the lead 7t, brush it, slip-ring b, conductor I), and binding-post d to the singeing-wire d, the current passing along the latter to its juncture with the guardwires 0, where it will be divided and pass along the several conductors or guard-wires c to the head or block 0, and thence to the stem at, and through the slip-ring a to the brush it, and thence to the return-lead 7L2. We now have the implement under rapid rotation and with the current passing theretlnough, and shortly the wire (1 will reach a glow and will be in condition for performing its functions. Assuming now, for example, that a pattern in embroidery thread or braid has been produced upon a foundation fabric and that it is desired to trim away the foundation fabric close to, along, and around the pattern, so as to leave the latter in. clearcut outline, the piercing-point (Z will first be entered through the foundation fabric at any point it is desired. This will bring the heated singeing-wire (1 into engagement with said foundation fabric, which latter will be instantly singed and charred away, the operator then bringing the instrument close to the edge of the embroidery for the purpose of removing the foundation fabric close thereto. As previously stated, the wires 0, of which there are preferably three and which are arranged in triangular relation, constitute a guard and perform their functions as guards by reason of the fact that in the rapid rotation of the instrument they become practieally a solid or continuous surface which presents itself against the embroidery or pattern on the foundation material and uses said embroidery or pattern as a guidewallthat is to say, the embroidery made into ap attern is necessarily stiffer, and very much more so, than the foundation material, and in consequence presents a considerable resistance to pressure thereon by the instrument in its operation. Therefore as the operator approaches the instrument to the embroidery the singeing-wire will remove the foundation material, and the guard-wires, operating as described, will engage the embroidery edge and prevent the singeing wire from having any efl'ect thereon. If undue pressure of the instrument is brought .to bear upon the edge of the embroidery, the

latter will necessarily give way, thus preventing the singeing-wire from a'fl'ecting the same. Moreover, as previously stated, by bowing the wire inwardly, as described, and by reason of its elongation and increased bowing under heat and rotation, the singeing-wire as well as the radius of action of the heat radiated thereby will be kept within bounds and prevented from operating beyond the radius of action of the guard-wires. In consequence no injury can result to the embroidery, though the foundation fabric, which is comparatively light, will necessarily be trimmed or singed and charred away. Ob-

viously the entire length of the singeing-wire can be utilized and the degree of rapidity of its singemg action may be controlled by reason of the converging arrangement of the same and the guard-wires, and it will be readily understood that if the foundation material is to be removed from a small circle of embroidery it is only necessary to enter the point into the fabric until the extreme lower end of the guard-wires reach the same, whereupon a rapid movement of the instrument will completely remove the said foundation fabric within the circle, and after the fabric has been pierced or penetrated by the point d it is clear that the instrument may be entered thereinto as deeply as desired, whereby to remove the foundation fabric as rapidly as the operator wishes, the embroidery-pattern acting as a guide to facilitate the trimming. Thus an important feature of the invention resides in providing the piercing-point d to penetrate the foundation fabric in order to bring the singeing-wirc (1 into action and additionally to control its singeing action. As previously stated, the singeing-wire is composed of a material of high resistance and low conductivity, while the guard-wires are composed of a material l i l i of low resistance and high conductivity, and by reason of there being several guard-wires of high conductivity the current passing through the singeing-wire will be divided at the point of juncture of said wires and will pass equally along the said guard-wires through the instrument on the return-lead. This arrangement is important in that it prevents the current translated by the singeing-wire cl from objectionably heating the point (Z or the guard-wires c. In fact, by the arrangement of the guard-wires and their composition the possibility of the same becoming overheated. is completely eliminated, and stress is laid upon this feature of my invention, as it is quite important. By providing the rheostat the degree of current transmitted to the singeing-wire can be regulated to a nicety and undue heating of said wire is thereby prevented.

Too much stress cannot be laid upon the function and operation of the guard-wires c in respect of their function of acting a guard to the embroidery and preventing the singeing-wire from acting thereon andremoving therefrom the immediate foundation thereof, as well as in their aspect of operating as a brace to prevent the possibility of the operators hand carrying the singeing-wire too far over against the embroidery edge in following the outline of the pattern. Another important function of the guard-wires is to clean or sweep the edge of the embroidery or pattern as the singeing or trimming takes plaee-that is to say, as the foundation fabric is singed or charred away an ash or fluff may remain on or cling to the edge or surface being treated, and such ash or fluff will be effectively removed and the said edge or surface thoroughly cleaned by the action of the rapidly-rotating guardwircs. Moreover, these guard-wires have the same function when the implement is carried across the surface of a pile or nap fabric the surface of which it is desired to render uniform, the guards also acting to prevent the implement from being carried too close to the body material. Obviously the rapidity of rotation of the instrument may be regulated by any suitable means.

It should be distinctly understood as an important part of my invention that neither the guard-wires 0 nor the point (i becomes unduly heated and that said point is essentially a piercing-point, the function of which is simply to penetrate the work. In operating upon the surface of a fabric or upon a free edge thereof the piercing-point will have no function.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a con ducting filament, means for supporting said filament by its ends so as to leave it free and unsupported between its ends, a guard cooperating with the free portion of said filament and means for translating an electric current to and through said filament, whereby the latter may be heated for singeing purposes.

2. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a holder, a conducting fila ment, a guard, and means for translating an electric current to and through said filament, the latter being supported at one end by the holder and at the other end by the guard, whereby said filament is exposed between its ends to present singeing portions.

3. An electric trimming apparatus comprising a singeing filament capable of being heated by the passage therethrough of an electric current; a holder for said filament; means for rotating said holder; and leads in electric connection with portions of the singeing filament, the latter being extended beyond said holder and having a portion thereof exposed between its ends for contact with work to be trimmed.

4. An electric trimming apparatus comprising a singeing filament capable of being heated by the passage therethrough of an electric current, said filament being extended beyond its singeing portion to form a piercing-point; a holder for said filament; and leads in electric connection with portions of said filament, the latter being extended beyond said holder and having a portion thereof exposed between its ends for contact with work to be trimmed.

5. An electric trimming apparatus comprising a singeing filament capable of being heated by the passage therethrough of an electric current; a holder for said filament; leads in electric connection with portions of the singeing filament, the latter being extended beyond said holder and having a portion thereof exposed between its ends for contact with work to be trimmed; and a guard cooperating with said filament and connected therewith so as to aid in its support.

6. An electric trimming apparatus, having in combination a support, a trimming device carried thereby, said trimming device being provided with a piercing-point, a guard partially surrounding said trimming device and means whereby an electric current may be translated to and through said trimming device.

7. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a support, a trimming device carried thereby, said trimming device being provided with a piercing-point, .a guard cooperating with said trimming device, and means for translating an electric current to and through said trimming device for heat ing the latter without proportionately heating its piercingpoint.

8. An electric trimming apparatus hating in combination a support, a trimming device carried thereby, said trimming device being provided with a piercing-point, a guard cooperating with said trimming device, a handhold surrounding said support and by which the latter is carried, and means for translating an electric current to and through said trimming device.

9. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a rotary shaft, a trin'nning device carried thereby, a guard cooperating with said trimming device, and means for translating an electric current to and through said trimming device.

10. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a support, a trimming device carried thereby, a guard cooperating with said trimming device, means whereby an electric current may be translated to and through said trimming device, and means for regulating the current translated to said trimming device.

11. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a rotary shaft, a trimming device carried thereby, a flexible driving means connected to said shaft, whereby the apparatus may be manipulated as desired, and an electric circuit for translating a current to and through the said trimming de vice.

12. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a rotary shaft, a combined trimming device and guard carried by said shaft, the guard being divided into a plurality of parts, and the said parts and the said trimming device being caused to converge and being combined and formed into a piercing-point, and means whereby an electric current may be translated to and through the trimming device.

13. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a rotary shaft, a combined guard and trimming device carried by said shaft, means for translating an electric current to and through said trimming device and guard, and a piercing-point formed in prolongation of the said guard and trimming device, said guard and trimming device being composed of a plurality of wires disposed in substantially conical form, and the trimming wire being bowed slightly relatively to the guard-wires.

14:. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a rotary shaft, a plurality of slip-rings carried thereby, and a head secured to the end thereof, a combined trimming de vice and guard composed of a plurality of wires each connected to said head, said wires being combined at one end and prolonged into a piercing-point, means whereby an electric current may be translated to one of the slip-rings and thence to the trimmingwire and passing through the latter and the guard-wires, thence to and through the said shaft and to the other of the slip-rings, and

thence to the return-lead, and a handh old or guard surrounding said apparatus whereby the same may be manipulated at will.

15. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a rotary shalt, two slip-rings carried thereby, and a head supported on the end thereof, a combined guard and trimming device carried by said head,said guard and trimming device being joined and formed into a piercing-point, a handhold or'guard surrounding said apparatus, and means for translating an electric current to and through the trimming device comprising the stationary brushes carried by the handhold. or guard and bearing respectively upon the slip-rings, a lead connecting one of the sliprings with'the trimming device, and means electrically connecting the guard with the rotary shaft to which latter the other slipring is electrically connected, substantially as described.

16. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a holder, a conducting filament having a piercing-point, means for translating an electric current to and through I said filament, and means cooperating with i the point of said filament to prevent the cur- ,l rent overheating and to maintain the same at a lower temperature than the body of the filament.

17. An electric trimming apparatus having in combination a holder, a trimming-wire, a guard composed of a plurality of wires, and means for translating an electric current to and through said trimming and guard wires, said trimming wire being composed of a metal of higher resistance than the guard-wires where by the latter remain comparatively cool.

Signed at New York this 11th day of September, 1905.

FELIX J. RUSH. 

